November 2014

THE FLAME

Novem

ber

2014

The Monthly Newsletter of First Unitarian Church of Omaha

Page 3

Sunday Services this Month

1

Events in November

Page 7

Holiday Dinner

Sign-up Information

Meet Our Leaders Staff

Minister Frank Rivas [email protected]

Director of Religious

Education Jan Wilson [email protected]

Office Administrator Catharine Dixon [email protected]

Organist Pat Will

Choir Director Bob McMeen

Nursery Aide Jackie Dross

Custodian Bobby Medrano

Early Service Pianist Stan Harper Choir Accompanist Reuline Nightingale

Minister Emeritus Ronald Knapp

Nominating Committee

Mary Bort, Abby Cape, Nadine

Keith, Joe Schaaf, Dave Olson,

Kim Callaghan

Board meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month and are open to all members.

THE FLAME Deadlines are the 15th of each month. Word limit: 200. Send your submissions to [email protected] Editor/Designer: Cat Dixon Proofers: Anita Horn, Cyndi Nather, Lana Hammel, Scott Kemper Flame Mailing Team: Anne

Massoud, Evelyn Whitehill,

Shelton Hendricks, Howard

Bolton, Kim Callaghan

THE FLAME | FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF OMAHA |FIRSTUUOMAHA.ORG 2

Board Members

Louise Jeffrey (President), Dean Christensen, Sheri Conner, Lynette Ryder, Jack Round (President-Elect), Ron Withem, Cy Leise, Jack Heidel

[email protected]

Trustees of the Capital Trust

Tim Duggan (2016), Sandy Host (2015), Steven Hutchinson (2017)

Committee on Ministry

Jaime Alexander, Katrina Schmidt, Marie Sedlacek, Alan Vovolka

Ministry Team Council

Rev. Frank Rivas, Carolyn McNamara, Jack Round, Amy Barlow

[email protected]

Ministry Teams and Team Leaders

Adult Religious Education - Crystal DiGiorgi

Archives - Dave Richardson

Caring - Douglas Lee-Regier

Chalice Guild - Kay Lynn Goldner

Community Meals - Diane Withem

Fellowship - Judith Wright, Nadine Keith & Nellie Chenoweth

Finance - Walt Jesteadt

Fundraising - Donna Neff & Kathi Oliver

Governance - Alex Nather

Hope in Action - Kim Dunovan

House and Grounds - Dave Rosser

Membership - Jackie Anderegg

Office - Carolyn McNamara

Omaha Together One Community - Kim Dunovan & Laurie Gift

Partner Church - Janet West

Religious Education - Sheri Conner

Religious Services - Megan Gustafson

Women’s Alliance - Nellie Chenoweth

Young Adult Group - Maria Wallace

YRUU - Ben Wallace & Shawne Coonfare

mailto:[email protected]






THE FLAME | FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF OMAHA |firstuuomaha.org

November 9—Two services at

9:30am and 11:15am

Unutterable

Rev. Frank Rivas

The structure of language does not

necessarily reflect the structure of

reality. Philosophers, poets and

prophets recognize this.

November 16—Two services at

9:30am and 11:15am

To Save and To Savor

Rev. Frank Rivas

“If the world were merely seductive,

that would be easy; if the world were

merely challenging, that would be no

problem. But I wake up each morning

torn between a desire to save the world

and a desire to savor the world. This

makes it very hard to plan the day.”

—E.B. White

November 2—Two Services at

9:30am and 11:15am

Dialectic

Rev. Frank Rivas

Religious history, like all history,

moves in the form of dialectic. We have

a place in the story.

November 23—Two services at 9:30am

and 11:15am

Thanks Like an Ever Flowing Stream

Megan Gustafson

Our congregation has a tradition of

sharing stories of our travels and

combining water that we have collected on

our journeys. This year, we are taking a

new approach and combining this tradition

with the celebration of Thanksgiving.

Please join us for this sharing service.

Bring a vial of water (if you have one) and

your stories. We will share where we have

been, and share why we are grateful to

come home again to our First Unitarian

Church home.

November 30—One Service Only at

10:30am

November Song

Rev. Charles Stephen

Thanksgiving is behind us, but we must

admit that November is the most difficult

month to feel thankful.


Our First Unitarian Choir led

by Bob McMeen sings on the

first and third Sundays at the

11:15am service.

Please join us on Sunday mornings!

Special Services

this Month

November 18—Tuesday

evening service at 4pm

Worship will be at 4pm, led

by Rev. Frank Rivas, and

Pastor Kenith Williams and

Chaplain Royal Bush

(Inclusive Life) followed by a

traditional Thanksgiving

meal at 4:30pm. See page 6

for more information.

November 23—Sunday

evening service at 5pm at

First Christian Church

(66th and Dodge Streets)

Interfaith Thanksgiving

Service

THE FLAME | FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF OMAHA |firstuuomaha.org


Rev. Elations Monthly Column from our Minister, Rev. Frank Rivas

A frequent visitor asked me during the coffee hour to identify the books that have most influ-

enced me. I went blank. I reached to identify one poem (Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Im-

mortality”), but could go no further.

When I got home, I thought of several books that transformed me, but I also recognized that the

question was not phrased properly for me. I believe that I would have responded differently had

the question been “Who are the people who most influenced you?”

Even my love for Wordsworth is associated with a single person, Jack Stillinger, who taught

Wordsworth in grad school and who was also my advisor. Then there was Hazel Barnes, whose

passion for Sartre taught me to live in good faith. And Harry Tiebot, Unitarian minister and

philosophy professor; I had asked him to lead me in independent study through Tillich’s

Systematic Theology; he agreed on the condition that we use psychoanalytic and Buddhist

literature as a gloss; after two semesters, my study had just begun. And Bob Kimball and

Rebecca Parker from divinity school. And Anne, who teaches the praxis of love. The list goes

on. I learned from great people.

The list also includes good friendships and reflective people in the congregations I have served.

One of the advantages of being a minister is that I am frequently invited to join people in loss or

in other major transitions, at times when they are struggling to redefine themselves and their

relationship with the world around them. These are holy moments, and each helps to define

who I am and who I struggle to become.

Our lives are rich in books, in people, in love. They are further enriched by pets, by our natural

surroundings, by art, and by music. May we recognize our many blessings and grow to become

worthy of them.

Frank

Daylight Savings Time

Remember that we “fall back” in November. Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, November 2.

To arrive at church on time be sure to set your clocks back before you head to bed on Saturday, November 1.


Women’s Alliance

Meeting

Women, members and friends,

from First and Second Unitarian

Church are invited to attend the

Women’s Alliance (WA) monthly

get-together on Monday, November

10 in the common room of First

Unitarian Church. The evening will

begin with socializing and

beverages at 6:30pm. This month’s

meal, provided by Eddie’s

Catering, will be Beef Stew and

Vegetable Stew.

Our November program speaker

will be Morgan Quignon, president

of the River City Gender Alliance.

She will share information about

the Alliance and her experience as

president. The RCGA is a non-

profit organization that provides

peer support, friendship and under-

standing for cross-dressers,

transgenderists, and transsexuals.

We ask for $12 which goes toward

the cost of dinner, our NEW

Merritt Educational Fund and

Partner Church Fund. If this will be

your first time attending, please let

us know and be our guest.

Please RSVP by emailing

[email protected] or by

leaving a message with Janet West

at 402-553-3162 by November 7.

Please include in your message or

email if you would like the meat or

vegetarian entrée. An accurate

headcount is appreciated for food

preparations. If you order a dinner

and can not attend, please send $12

to the church office and indicate

that is for Women’s Alliance. We

look forward to seeing you!!

UU & You November 19 at 7pm

Merritt Lounge

Visitors, newcomers, and the just

curious are cordially invited to

this introduction to Unitarian

Universalism. The class provides

an introduction to Unitarian

Universalism and our church

along with an opportunity to share

our religious journeys in a

theologically diverse “safe” place.

Conversation will include some

history of UU, our church, what

the church does, how it functions,

and opportunities and paths.

RSVPs or questions can be

addressed to

[email protected] or call

class facilitator Jaime Alexander

at 402-657-9386.

Spirit Circle—

Special Event

November 1st at 5pm we will

gather at House of Loom 1012

South 10th St. in Omaha. Spirit

Circle is creating an ofrenda on

behalf of the church that will be

displayed at this event. If you'd

like to have your beloved dead

represented, please bring a

photocopy of a picture of

someone who has passed on to

church and give it to Ryan Cook,

Bethany Murphy, Cass Mo, or

another member of Spirit Circle,

and we will include you. Members

of the greater First Unitarian

Community are invited to attend.

Transgender Day of

Remembrance

November 20

Join us for our third Annual

Transgender Day of Remembrance

(TDoR). This is a day that we

gather as one community to

remember those who have died in

the name of transphobia, to share

the living history of the transgender

community, and to celebrate the

transgender community.

Program will begin at 6:30pm and

will be followed by a dessert and

beverage reception. For more

information please visit

www.tdoromaha.com or visit us on

facebook.

Women’s Alliance

Annual Bake Sale

Be sure to stop by the Women’s

Alliance Bake Sale during BOTH

coffee hours on Sunday, November

23. Don’t miss the opportunity to

buy some tasty treats for yourself or

your Thanksgiving feast. Also great

for host/hostess gifts, to serve at

your Thanksgiving table, or to eat

on the way home from service! This

year will be a wonderful selection

of breads, cookies, pies, and more!

Proceeds from the bake sale go to

the Women’s Alliance Education

Fund.



http://www.tdoromaha.com

https://www.facebook.com/TdorOmaha

Church Survey Completed

by Louise Jeffrey, Board President and Donna Neff, Survey Team Member


Many of you have asked about the results of our recent church survey, an attempt to “take the pulse” of our church

early in the summer. Thank you to all who participated. The results are now ready and we invite and encourage you

to study the same report the Board received. A reminder that this is group data across everyone who responded, with

open-comments removed. To get the report, go to the church website and click on the survey button or contact the

church office for a paper copy. A few paper copies will be available in the Common Room (save trees!).

Further issues of the Flame will contain detailed summaries about various topics covered in the survey, but for now,

here is the big-picture: 141 people took the survey (we have 213 members). 115 of the respondents were members;

26 were friends. The distribution of age and gender seemed representative of our congregation. The results

confirmed an informal sense that the church is basically healthy and in a better place than several years ago. Some

respondents did not yet feel they know Rev. Frank very well, but there were strong feelings of community, of being

welcoming, of positive relationships with our minister, and improved communication and trust in our leaders. Our

music and worship programs received the expected high marks, and there is a great deal of satisfaction with the

improvements which have been made in the RE program for children.

Our challenges include divided opinions on the “usual suspects,” including the adequacy of our building, our degree

of involvement in national and local affairs, our skills at managing conflict, and meeting the needs of our diverse

beliefs. The majority of our members self-identified as Humanist, Atheist, and Agnostic, with sizable minorities

selecting Paganism/Earth-Centered, Christian, and Buddhist in that order. I think what encouraged us most was the

response to Question 43, which said: “I am proud to be a member of this congregation.” 88% responded Agree/

Strongly Agree. In addition to this report, the open comments are being summarized and will also be distributed

when ready.

The Board has already found the results helpful, and will continue to “mine” the data. Specifically, we want to know

whether there are big differences in the way very active members and less active members responded to any of the

items. We also want to know whether there are differences in how those under age 40, those between 40 and 60, and

those over age 60 perceive things. These statistical analyses are more complex and are ongoing. Stay tuned.

Come As You Are:

Thanksgiving Meal & Worship

On Tuesday, November 18 First Unitarian Church Community will partner with The Inclusive Life Center

Community for Christian worship and a meal. Worship will be at 4pm, led by Rev. Frank Rivas, and Pastor Kenith

Williams and Chaplain Royal Bush (Inclusive Life) followed by a traditional Thanksgiving meal at 4:30pm.

Pastor Kenith Williams joined the Inclusive Life Center to provide outreach, pastoral care, meals, worship and

community to those who live on the street, in shelters, between homes, and those without a church community.

May we ask for your help? We are in need of volunteer help (church ambassadors, table hosts, kitchen help, set up

help, and clean up help.) Times range from early afternoon, during the event, and after the event. We are in need of

donations of food that are purchased, prepared, and dropped off at church. For those who are unable to volunteer or

donate food, please consider a financial donation to help.

Nathan Kramer is the event coordinator. Complete details are available at: http://tinyurl.com/oftw8jr

or by contacting Nathan at [email protected] (402) 884-8916.

http://tinyurl.com/oftw8jr


Holiday Dinner on December 13 Social Hour at 5:30pm with dinner at 6:30pm

Another fabulous, delectable menu prepared by Attitudes on Food (vegan selections included). Cost

is $21 per person.*

Please make your reservation by sending a check to the church office. The check needs to arrive by

December 5. Please put your check and this form in the offering plate or mail both to the church

office. You can also call in your reservation to the church office; however, your check is your

reservation.

Please circle what you are able to bring:

Wine Appetizer Dessert

Name(s): __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Please make your childcare reservation when you RSVP for dinner.

Pizza and all the fixings will be provided for kids.

Yes, I will need childcare. _____

#of children: _____

Ages and names: ____________________________________________________________

Please note:

We want everyone to be able to come and celebrate. If confidential financial assistance would help

make it possible for you to attend please contact Rev. Frank at [email protected].

*The cost includes tips for the servers and clean-up so that our faithful volunteers can take a much

needed break and enjoy the evening.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sunday, November 23 at 5pm at First Christian Church (66th &

Dodge Streets)

Last year First Unitarian Church of Omaha hosted an interfaith service with First Congregational

Church (our neighbor to the west). This year we join First Congregational and several other groups

to have our Thanksgiving interfaith service at First Christian Church.

Please join us for this special event. The service will include Rev. Joshua Sawyer (First Christian

Church), Rev. Dr. Jane Florance (First United Methodist Church), Rabbi Josh Brown and Rabbi

Aryeh Azriel (Temple Israel), Rev. Zach Anderson (Hanscom Park United Methodist Church),

Rev. Becky Balestri (Underwood Hills Presbyterian Church), Rev. Frank Rivas (First Unitarian

Church), Rev. Dr. Scott Jones (First Congregational Church), and others including cantors from

Temple Israel.



What Is Our Family Really About? by Jan Wilson, DRE THE FLAME | FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF OMAHA |FIRSTUUOMAHA.ORG 8

When our kids, Aaron and Ellen, were young,

John and I thought it would be useful to have

family meetings. We would connect on our

various calendars and commitments to

coordinate drop-offs and pick-ups. We would

learn ahead of time about meetings and

supplies that were needed for the next week.

Like a lot of parents, we were doing too much

last-minute scrambling. We also felt like our

time with the kids was too busy with details of

activities and not enough about a shared

family experience.

Family meetings were a good idea, in theory.

In reality, our kids hated leaving their play to

sit around and do something this “stupid.”

John had a brainstorm. He suggested we pass

out allowance money for the week. The deal

was that you get allowance only if you

participate in the family meeting.

We did a check in and asked pretty easy

questions such as, “What was the best part of

the week?” “What was the hardest part of the

week?” Later we asked, “What does each

family member do that you appreciate?” or

“What could each of us do to improve the

lives of each other person?” I took notes,

writing out our comments. I still have that

notebook.

At some point, I read somewhere that every

family has a theme; some expressed or

unexpressed value that drives the course of

their lives together. I believe the theme of our

family is that family comes first. This means

we are all affected by the joys and sorrows of

the others. We are asked to consider the needs

of each family member and commit to

supporting the well being of each personality

with generosity and patience. No, not easy at

all.

Would you take some time to think and

discuss your own family or personal theme?

Is there a quote or writing that expresses a

value your family holds most dear?

Would you be willing to share it with me?

Jan

Religious Education

We encourage the children to attend the

9:30am Sunday service. We will offer a

special children's order of service and an

activity packet. Sunday School will start at

10:30am and last until 11:30am.

Sunday School Rooms:

K-2nd Grades: RE Office/Classroom

3rd-5th Grades: Robert Weston Room

(Middle Classroom upstairs)

6th-8th Grades: Whitney Young Classroom

(Downstairs Classroom)

9th-12th Grades: Merritt Lounge

After Sunday School ends at 11:30am,

children will all gather in the middle upstairs

classroom for snack time (a kid-version of

coffee hour). Then at 11:45am they will

gather in the Whitney Young Room.

This will be community time.

The Community Time Schedule is:

1st Sunday of the month: Movie & Popcorn

2nd Sunday of the month: Choir

3rd Sunday of the month: Art

4th Sunday of the movie: Choir

Community Time ends at 12:30pm.

Adult Religious Education

Goddess Thursdays —

“Since God Is a Woman”

This group will meet in the Common Room and will be led by Karen

Berry and Douglas Lee-Regier and will happen Nov. 13 – Dec. 18, 7-9pm

(No meeting Thanksgiving.)

We will start with Merlin Stone’s When God Was a Woman and go

through more recent research into forgotten feminist lore and mythology. We will also take up

the meaning of the goddess tradition in modern day life and in our daily lives.

Nov. 13 Readings from Merlin Stone’s When God Was a Woman

Nov. 20 Suppressed Histories by Max Dashu http://www.suppressedhistories.net/ (Group will

meet in the Whitney Young Classroom this week.)

Dec. 4 Spirit Rituals from goddess and pagan traditions

Dec. 11 Goddess in Art and Music – plus making our own

Dec. 18 Goddess Solstice practice

Special Event:

Saturday, Dec. 20 Goddess Solstice Celebration 6-9pm, Common Room

Social Justice in Environmental and Food Issues

Forums will take place in the church Common Room with the topic of “Economic Inequality.”

These forums are designed to offer a platform for in-depth presentation of information and

Social Justice in Environmental and Food Issues.

—Environmental Issues: Why We Need a Carbon Tax will be discussed on Thursday,

October 30 at 7-8:30pm in the Common Room. The session will be facilitated by Alan Vovolka

and Frances Mendenhall, who recently went to the People's Climate March in New York City

where 400,000 participated.

—Social Justice in Agriculture will be facilitated by Marcia and Cy Leise Thursday, November 6

at 7-8:30pm in the Common Room. Discussions will range from the exploitation of

agricultural workers to the impact of food choices on natural resources leading to climate

change.

Flint Discussion Forums

This month a new church program is being launch. On Tuesday,

November 25 at 7pm the newly formed Flint Discussion Forums will

take place in the church Common Room with the topic of “Economic

Inequality.” These forums are designed to offer a platform for in-depth

presentation of information and dialog on topics ranging from ethics

& morals to arts & religion. The name “Flint” refers to the rock that is

used to create a spark. Each program will run 90 minutes. Attendees

wishing to bring their own dinner are welcome to join others at 6pm to

share conversation. All are invited. Coffee and water will be available. Questions about the

program can be directed to: [email protected] or Nathan Kramer (402) 884-8916.


http://www.suppressedhistories.net/



Share the Plate—Social Justice Each month one-half of the loose currency in the offering plate is donated to a cause with a

local presence that advances important principles of Unitarianism.

This month we share the plate to support our congregation’s social justice ministries.

The Women’s Religious Studies Group Our reading of The Epic of Unitarianism: Original Writings from the History of Liberal Religions

continues with first person reminders of the persecution that free thinkers and religious rebels have

faced, followed by our own lively discussions of the text. We meet 1pm to 2:30pm most Thursdays.

Questions? Contact Rae at 402-422-1404 or [email protected].

Auction—A Big Success! By Donna Neff and Kathi Oliver

Thank you to the generous donors, enthusiastic bidders and buyers, and many hard-working

helpers who made our Halloween Heart & Hand Auction on October 24th such a fun and successful

evening. The dust is still settling, but an estimated $15,500 was raised for the church operations

budget! It truly was an affair of the “heart” and “hand”—with 157 items donated for auction, a

potluck featuring a huge variety of foods, and costumed guests packing the Common Room to

capacity. Open seats for events will continue to be sold the next several weeks on-line and at

church. Watch for pictures, an Auction Calendar of scheduled events, lists of volunteers who

helped and final outcomes on the church website and bulletin boards. Congratulations to raffle

winners Dee Otte (primo Sunday reserved parking space that she has gifted to Harriet Major) and

Shelton Hendricks (Movie Night Out basket). Lots of lucky winners of door prizes, too. A special

thanks to our MCs, Ben Wallace and Royal Bush, for herding us with punny fun through the eve,

and to Kate Wiig as our ever awesome auctioneer! They kept us laughing even as our pocketbooks

emptied. Winners of the costume contest were Kate Wiig (#1), Anne Wilder (#2) and Kathy

Campbell (#3). There were many amazing costumes, despite a week-night party!

Guest Seats for Auction Events: Some of you had big hearts and purchased extra “guest” seats

for auction events. Thank you! Either invite people yourself, or contact Caring or the Auction Team

for help distributing them.

Post-Auction Follow-up: We have found billing after the auction works just fine with our trust-

worthy buyers. All buyers and donors will receive emailed (if possible to save time and stamps) or

mailed statements and participant information. (The email will come from our auction software—

CharityAuctionOrganizer—so don’t treat it as spam!) Please pay auction bills as soon as possible

(saving the expense of more stamps). The Auction Team will be following up to help assure all

these wonderful events and items purchases are enjoyed. Questions? Contact

[email protected] or call Donna @ 402-393-5390 or Kathi (402-214-2718).

Again, on behalf of the FUNdraising Team and our church budget--THANK YOU to all who

participated!

The Women’s Religious Studies Covenant

Group The Women's Religious Studies Covenant Group will begin using our new book, Soul to Soul, on

Thursday, November 20th at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. Maureen Connolly will facilitate the first

chapter, Thick Stories. Contact person is Harriet Major, [email protected] or 402-391-0248.




Adult RE: Environmental Issues: Why We Need a Carbon Tax Thursday, October 30 at 7pm in the Common Room See page 9 for more details. Yvonne Price Memorial Service Saturday, November 1 at 10am Sanctuary See page 16 for more information about Yvonne. Spirit Circle Saturday, November 1 at 5pm Offsite at House of Loom See page 5 for details. Adult RE: Social Justice in Agriculture Thursday, November 6 at 7pm in the Common Room See page 9 for more details. Community Night Friday, November 7 at 5:30pm See page 13 for information. Rosser & Boonyawiroj Wedding Saturday, November 8 at 2pm See page 18 for invitation. Women’s Alliance Monday, November 10—social hour at 6:30pm; program at 7:30pm See page 5 for information. Board Meeting Tuesday, November 11 at 7pm in the Common Room Adult RE: Goddess Thursdays with Douglas Lee-Regier Thursdays at 7pm in the Common Room beginning November 13 See page 9 for more information. Flame Deadline Submit your newsletter articles to [email protected] by November 15 at noon.

Come As You Are:

Thanksgiving Meal & Worship

Tuesday, November 18 at 4pm in

the Sanctuary

See page 6 for more details.

UU & You Class Wednesday, November 19 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge See page 5 for details. Women’s Religious Studies Covenant Group Thursday, November 20 at 1pm See page 10 for details. Transgender Day of Remembrance Thursday, November 20 at 6:30 in the Sanctuary and Common Room See page 5 for details. Young Adult Game Night Friday, November 21 at 6:30pm See page 18 for details. Women’s Alliance Bake Sale Sunday, November 23 during both coffee hours See page 5 for details RE Council Meeting Sunday, November 23 at 12:30pm in Jan’s office Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sunday, November 23 at 5pm at

First Christian Church (69th &

Dodge Streets) Book Club Monday, November 24 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge See page 18 for information. Flint Discussion Group Tuesday, November 25 at 7pm in the Common Room See page 9 for more information.

The Heart & Hand Auction was held on October 24.

Recurring... Women’s Religious Studies Group Meets every Thursday at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge See page 10 for information. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month after the service in the Whitney Young Room or in the corner of the Common Room Choir Rehearsal Meets every Wednesday evening at 7pm in the Sanctuary YRUU Meets every Wednesday at 7pm in the Common Room

Looking ahead… Holiday Dinner Saturday, December 13 at 5:30pm in the Common Room See page 7 for details.

Church Events

Coming Up


Members of First Unitarian are

familiar with the annual Lemon

Sermon, delivered by a lay member

of the congregation. Since 1999

each Spring we have been

entertained, educated and inspired

by the thoughts and feelings

expressed by a person who on

Sundays is usually sitting in the

pews with the rest of us.

This unique idea was initiated as a

memorial to Dr. Henry Lemon, who

delivered several lay sermons him-

self and advocated the idea for

others. After he delivered one of

those sermons and was being

congratulated by a member, he was

heard to utter the phrase which has

become the motto of the Lemon

Sermon, “We All Have a Sermon in

Us.” His contributions to the church

go well beyond his occasional

sermons. But, his contributions in

the field of oncology and medical

research are nationally and

internationally known.

Dr. Lemon hailed from the Chicago

area where he did his undergraduate

work at The University of Chicago.

He later received his M.D. from

Harvard Medical School. He came

to Omaha in 1961 as the first head

of the fledgling Eppley Cancer

Institute. Under his leadership the

Eppley Institute became world

famous for its work in the research

and treatment of cancer. Dr. Lemon

was the first oncologist in Nebraska

to specialize in breast cancer, a field

which had been previously over-

looked as a specialization.

Henry’s widow Dixie notes that in

1961 the word “breast” and the

word “cancer” were almost always

spoken in whispers and when the

two words were spoken together the

phrase was virtually taboo.

Nowadays, we see the ubiquitous

pink ribbons, the numerous fund

raising efforts along with other

campaigns aimed at raising aware-

ness of breast cancer. At the time

Dr. Lemon began his pioneering

efforts, the field had little in the way

of existing specialized diagnosis

and treatment. His work at the

Eppley Institute changed that

dramatically. In addition to his

clinical and research work he

published important articles and

delivered papers at medical

conferences that made the ground-

breaking work taking place at the

Eppley Institute available to others.

Fortunately, the term breast cancer

is no longer spoken in whispers and

the research, treatment and aware-

ness of the field have grown

prodigiously. Even males have

increased their awareness and their

commitment to defeating breast

cancer. This past summer on a

designated Sunday all Major

League baseball teams wore pink

caps and used pink bats to show

their commitment to this campaign.

In the words of the old TV ad

“we’ve come a long way baby!”

due in no small part to the work of

Dr. Lemon.

Despite his tireless efforts in his

field and a heavy travel schedule

Dr. Lemon found time for church

and community involvement. He

served on the Board of Trustees of

the church and was elected to a term

as President of the Board. During

his term in the late 1960s he was

very active in the founding of

Second Unitarian and other critical

issues at a time of transition for the

church and the nation as a whole.

In addition to church work he was

an active Rotarian and a supporter

of the local arts scene.

Dixie commented that he was never

happier than when he was sailing.

She noted that he loved taking

grandchildren sailing on their New

England-based sailboat.

The legacy of Henry Lemon is

great. We honor his contributions to

the church through the annual

Lemon Sermon. But, we also see

that he, like many others, has helped

make this church a place that honors

a free and responsible search for

truth in a democratic congregational

environment.

His greatest legacy extends far

beyond our doors. His contributions

to the fight against cancer,

particularly breast cancer, have

saved countless lives and helped

many other health care

professionals in their work.

We All Have a Sermon in Us Henry Lemon (1915-1997)

by Dave Richardson


CommUUnity Night

Join us for CommUUnity Night on Friday, November 7 at 5:30pm in the Common Room.

Definitely fun for the whole family! Join our potluck with your favorite food and a board

game for this relaxing get-together. RE provides the main dish.

Membership Counts...

We are doing a lot of things well in this church, it seems. In growing churches, the visitor to

member ratio is one visitor to one member over a year. We have that. We are attracting good

numbers of people and many of them are young adults. In growing churches, the loss rate of

members is 10% to 12% per year. We are under that. We are keeping members and they

are happy.

We have quite a number of frequent visitors (those people who attend more than ten times in a

year). We are behind the statistics in having those visitors become members, so with the help of

this congregation and the enthusiastic Hospitality Teams, the membership effort this year will be

to get to know our frequent visitors, invite them to know us better, and to gently inquire about

membership possibilities with this group of people and to solidify a path to membership that

makes membership valuable.

We are expanding our Membership Team, so if you have an interest in joining a hardworking,

smart-mouthed group of people who enjoy fresh ideas, do join us. Meanwhile, join a Hospitality

Team, sit next to a visitor in church and feed us ideas you might have to share the good times in

this church with new people. Please introduce yourself to new people and the Membership

Team will find ways to help you know who they are. They are among us every Sunday.

Jacqueline Anderegg, Chair

Membership Team

Hospitality Teams Growing—Your Help Still

Needed Hospitality Teams are a very comfortable way for each of us to share six Sundays a year to

service our fellow congregants. We now have nine teams established to host once every two

months and each team has hosted a Sunday.

At the time of this writing (mid-October), we have enrolled over 75% of the congregants needed

to fully staff every team. There is still room for you on the team of your choice! Please sign-up

to help make Sundays the most hospitable day of the week. You can find complete information

at our webpage: http://www.firstuuomaha.org/#!hospitality-teams/c1uuz.


http://www.firstuuomaha.org/#!hospitality-teams/c1uuz

WHAT IS

HOPE IN ACTION?

Our church believes in community, and

that is what Hope In Action, a sub-team

of the Caring Team, is all about. Life

can leave any of us feeling vulnerable

and isolated. We want to make it easier

for you to ask for support and easier for

you to offer support when others are in

need.

WHO IS SERVED?

Church members, friends, regular

attendees and their spouses are eligible

for assistance from Hope In Action.

WHO CAN HELP?

Everyone! Hope in Action is an

opportunity for everyone in our church

community to support each other by

sharing knowledge, skills and

resources.

Hope In Action will use church

communications, including the Enews,

to let our church community know when

help is needed to respond to a request

for support. And we will report back to

the church community about how we

were able to respond. All communica-

tion will be done in a manner that

maintains the degree of confidentiality

requested by the person seeking

assistance.

WHAT SUPPORT CAN BE

EXPECTED?

Our response will vary depending on

the type of support that is needed in our

church community and what resources

we have available to respond. Hope In

Action will help with referrals to social

service agencies, rides to church, visits

to the homebound or a sympathetic ear

to talk through a problem.

Although Hope In Action is not

equipped to respond to emergencies,

short-term financial assistance may be

available for payment of lodging, food,

clothing, medication, transportation and

utilities. Disbursements of financial

assistance will not be made directly to

the person making the request for

assistance.

HOW TO ASK FOR SUPPORT

Requests for assistance must be made

directly by the person needing help.

Hope In Action does not respond to any

anonymous or third-party requests for

assistance.

Here are the ways you can ask for

support from Hope in Action. You may

send an email to

[email protected] or use

the Hope In Action link on the church

website. You may call the church office

and press ext. 105 to leave a telephone

message for Hope in Action. Or, you

may simply complete a Caring Card

located in the church pews and place it

in the designated box in the church

foyer.

WHO DECIDES WHAT SUPPORT

WILL BE OFFERED?

Hope in Action will use a team

approach, so at least three members of

Hope in Action must participate in

determining the nature of the response.


WHAT IS

COMMUNITY

MEALS?

Community Meals is an outreach

to people in need in our church 's

neighborhood.

Every Saturday members of

various "First" churches and

others take turns providing a hot

meal and groceries to those in

need at First Baptist Church (our

neighbor just one block east of

our church). First Unitarian

Church has been part of this

effort for several years.

Four times a year our church

"caters" and serves the meal and

distributes the groceries

provided by Trader Joe's

beginning between 10 and

11am (based on the meal

preparation time needed) and

ending at 1pm. Additionally,

there are First Unitarian Church

members who work at the site on

a weekly basis and additional

help is always welcome.

Our next meal will be served

the Saturday prior to

Christmas, December 20th.

Getting involved can be as

simple as providing a pan of

brownies or working in the

serving line. Want to get

involved? Call or email Diane

Withem, 402-679-8916 or

[email protected].



Another Wonderful Trip to 1st

Unitarian Church’s Partner

Church in Firtosmartonos,

Transylvania, Romania Virginia Shumate, Val Murray, and Janet West

Our first step into Transylvania was in Sinaia

which is a vacation/recreation town on the south-

ern edge of Transylvania. Boti, Rev. Katalin’s

husband, drove to Sinaia to pick us up. At this

time, Rev. Katalin and Boti do not have central

heating in the parsonage and rely on wood-

burning, ceramic stoves in the evenings and

mornings. One of Boti’s jobs is to start the fire in

the stoves.

Rev. Katalin and Boti have an extremely active six

-year-old, Mate. Every morning, Katalin drives

Mate to Szekelykeresztur where he attends first

grade. The school building houses the Unitarian

high school, the Unitarian elementary school, and

the dorms for the boarding Unitarian high school

students.

Rev. Katalin is the minister at the Unitarian church

in Firtosmartonos and well as the Unitarian church

in a neighboring village, Korispatak. Each Sunday

she is responsible for the services in both villages.

On Wednesdays, she provides Religious Education

instruction to the Unitarian children in both of the

village public schools.

Boti has a cow-calf operation. He buys calves after

the calves born to the cows Boti owns have been

weaned. The new calves then nurse the cows.

Every morning, Boti has to go to the barn to let the

calves nurse and then turns the cows out into the

pasture. In the evening, he brings the cows to the

barn so the calves can nurse again. Boti no longer

milks the cows to sell the milk.

Every day we had lunch/dinner with a different

Unitarian family in Firtosmartonos. The

families were chosen because these are families

who have children who have received the scholar-

ship money from members and friends of 1st Uni-

tarian Church. There are 12 village teens who are

now receiving some scholarship money. We re-

ceived many thanks from the parents for our help.

We toured the Unitarian high and elementary

schools in Szekelykeresztur, visited two UNESCO

World Heritage fortified churches—a Unitarian

church and a Lutheran church. They each date

back to the 15th and 16th centuries, were origi-

nally Roman Catholic, and were fortified against

attacks by Ottomans.

We also visited the city of Sekesvar which is

another World Heritage site. It includes a Saxon

(German) citadel, the entrance of which is a tall

bell tower. It has become a tourist area with

souvenir stands, restaurants, and hotels. Even with

the tourist attractions, it is still has the flavor of the

centuries ago.

On Sunday, we went to the Unitarian church

service in Kolaszvar (Cluj). This is the city where

the Unitarian bishop of Transylvania and Hungary

resides. Although none of us could understood

what the minister was saying, he was very

dynamic and impressive. We wanted to meet with

the him after the service, but he was on his way to

a protest/demonstration with a Romanian

Orthodox Priest against a Canadian gold mining

operation in a Unitarian village to the west. The

claim is that although this operation would

produce jobs it would also cause great

environmental damage.

Photos by Janet West


A Tribute To

Yvonne Price A Renaissance Woman Who

Remained True to Friends,

Diverse Interests & Deeply Held

Convictions

“Life loves life. See how it struggles to live in the

toughest conditions.”

Written by Kathi Oliver

There is much to be said about a woman who had as

much passion as Yvonne did. Although I did not

know her well, many congregants did. When I

decided to write a tribute piece about Yvonne, I

thought it would be more about Women’s Alliance.

At the end of the day, the Women’s Alliance was

only just a part of an extraordinary life Yvonne lived.

My steps to this tribute started with emails to friends

of Yvonne. I wanted anecdotes or stories about their

relationship with this extraordinary woman. I

received more than that. I received stories about her

passion for quilting, her involvement in committees

at First Unitarian, and her unwavering convictions.

“When Yvonne would get an idea, she would see it

through from beginning to end—a woman with a

mission.” Barb Ross recalled a time in the 1980s,

when Yvonne was determined that First Unitarian

needed a Coming of Age Ceremony. She recruited

Barb, and Kate, to collaborate this ceremony. What

Barb remembered most from this venture was

standing in the back “watching this entity of energy

research, write, costume, and preside over a perfectly

amazing Sunday service celebrating the passage from

childhood to adulthood.”

One thing was true about Yvonne; she had a passion

for quilting. “She had a huge collection of fabrics for

her quilt making and often worked on more than one

at a time. She had a finely honed sensibility about

quilt making, committee work, and life. She lived life

fully and on her terms.” Christina Noriega

remembers. Kim Dunovan joined a knitting group

Yvonne had started. She supplied the pattern for the

sock to learn to knit. “Yvonne said, ‘Let me see your

sock...what happened here?’ And proceeded to rip out

the sock three or four times. She can be firm and

blunt, but I’m thankful because I now know how to

knit socks that I can wear.”

Kim also recalled a time when she and Yvonne

traveled to Lincoln to visit the National Quilt

Museum. Yvonne had recalled a church quilt she had

seen years and years ago, but did not know what had

happened to it. She began searching for the quilt.

The quilt she was looking for was the one she found

in a brown paper sack in a Women’s Alliance box

stored in the church attic. The restoration of the quilt

began…

Although I did not know her well, I now know how

extraordinary this woman was and how much of an

impact her friendship had on many people. I hope to

achieve this level of conviction and passion in my

life.

The picture above features the quilt Yvonne was

working on. The quilt is based on the Robert

Weston’s poem “Out of the Stars.” The gentleman

with her in the picture, Lawrence Krauss, was a

speaker at Apostacon. One of Yvonne’s friends was

able to arrange a private meeting with Mr. Krauss at

her home so she could visit with him.

A Memorial Service for Yvonne will be held on

Saturday, November 1st at 10am First Unitarian.


The Women’s Alliance Education Fund

The Women’s Alliance scholarship fund committee has been revamped for the 2014/2015 season, and every season

hereafter. In previous years the Women’s Alliance would allocate funds for a scholarship for an individual from

First or Second Unitarian wanting to continue his/her education with the transition from high school to college. The

WA has decided to broaden this fund, rename it, and incorporate criteria to attain funding for personal develop-

ment. The name of the scholarship fund has changed to the Merritt Educational Fund. This fund’s purpose is to

broaden personal development directly related to church functions. Some examples can include (but are not limited

to): help with costs to attend General Assembly, Leadership School or Mid-America District meetings; broadening

talent (musical, religious education, technical school, etc); or help with costs for a college course to further one’s

education for career advancement. These are just examples. The WA team requires some criteria to apply for this

educational fund.

1. The recipient must be a First Unitarian contributing member or friend of the church

2. Funding must be used for continuing education or for church-related activities

3. An application must be submitted with the following information: what direction you are headed in and what

the funds are for. Applications can be picked up in the mailroom of the church or by emailing Women’s

Alliance at [email protected].

The listed criteria may be altered by the contributing members of the Women’s Alliance Educational Fund Committee at any time. More

criteria may be added if, and when, the committee sees fit.

Sarah Joslyn Society by Carolyn McNamara

On Sunday, October 19, the Sarah Joslyn Society welcomed its newest members at the annual luncheon in the

Common Room. The Society, which was started in 2004, recognizes those members who have made the decision to

remember First Unitarian in their wills. This year, members toasted Shelton Hendricks, Linda Parker, and Diane

and Ron Withem as they joined the ranks of those who have committed to leaving a bequest to the church. The

delicious meal, prepared by Deb Duggan and Sandy Host, included chicken or portobello caprese, roasted red

potatoes, and quinoa salad with pomegranate and pistachios, followed by cherry and pineapple crisp with ice

cream. Unfortunately both Shelton and Ron were not able to attend, but they were welcomed into membership

along with Diane and Linda and each received a commemorative slate. Also recognized were those Society

members who passed away during the

past year: Betty Holloway, Katherine

Bester McClure, Yvonne Price and

Kop Ramsey.

If you would like to learn more about

how to join this distinguished group in

time for next year’s fabulous feast,

please contact Dixie Lemon at 402-393

-2882 or [email protected].

Pictured to the right: Rev. Frank Rivas,

Linda Parker, Louise Jeffrey, Diane

Withem, and Walt Jesteadt. (Photo:

Carolyn McNamara)




Book Club

In November we will meet on Monday, November 24 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. At that meeting

we will discuss Michael Werner's Regaining Balance: The Evolution of the UUA. If you would like to

receive emails about the book club, please contact Dave Richardson at [email protected].

Wedding Invite

You are invited to Dave Rosser and Evy Boonyawiroj’s wedding at First Unitarian Church on

Saturday, November 8 at 2pm. A non-traditional ceremony will be followed by a casual reception in

the Common Room. The final (optional) activity is a walk in the church area’s neighborhood.

We encourage you to wear a full or partial costume or something retro, or a hat with personality, or

something in your closet that never or seldom gets worn, or something creative.

In lieu of gifts, Dave and Evy request a donation to the church Choir Fund.

As a headcount is needed, please RSVP by Saturday, November 1st to Evy:

[email protected] or 316 N. 50th St. Omaha, NE 68132.

We hope you can join us for our celebration!


Young Adult Group

The next Young Adult Game Night is Friday, November 21 at 6:30pm in the Common Room.

Are you a young adult? Want to get involved? Contact [email protected].

New Hearing Assist Devices

The church has purchased two new hearing assist devices for use on Sunday mornings. If you need

any assistance with them, please see our friendly greeters on Sunday morning for assistance or Dave

Rosser who runs the sound system most Sundays.

Did You Know?

Did you know that an online address and phone directory of members and friends is available on the

church website? You can access it by clicking on the “Members Area” under the “Engage” tab and

entering the password. If you do not know the password or your personal information needs updating,

please contact Catharine Dixon in the church office.

Please help us keep the church directory up-to-date.





New Member News

Cassi Moucka was first attracted to First Unitarian Church because of its

spiritual openness and acceptance that she had heard about, and she stayed for

the fair trade coffee, conversation and community. She began attending in

May 2013 and has been a regular attendee ever since. Cassi joined the church

on October 5 (see photo of Cassi with Rev. Frank after signing the member-

ship book). She is active in the Spirit Circle and hospitality teams.

Cassi was born and raised in Omaha and is married to Jason. As a middle

school teacher at Norris Middle School, she teaches seventh and eighth

graders in the dual immersion program. She teaches reading and language arts

classes in both Spanish and English.

When not teaching, she volunteers as a medical advocate for people who have

experienced domestic violence or sexual assault in conjunction with the Women’s Center for Advancement.

Soon she will train to facilitate a Spanish language support group for LGBT community members, family

members friends and allies. In her free time she cross stitches, dances, studies bits and pieces of languages,

writes and performs poetry, publishes an interfaith zine, makes vegan baked goods, facilitates a feminist

movie club, reads tons of books, and pours homemade candles.

Cassi considers herself passionate about creating a warm and accepting global community that celebrates—

not tolerates—diversity and cultivates a joyful peace. Please welcome her to membership at First Unitarian

Church!

OTOC News

What the OTOC Environmental Action Team is currently working on:

Climate Change

▪ read the climate change study that was commissioned by Nebraska’s state legislation and done by the

University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

▪ meet with a state senator from the Ag Committee. The Ag Committee commissioned the UNL Study on

climate change.

▪ meet with state senator Burke Harr.

▪ meet with state senator Ken Harr.

▪ meet with the Sierra Club’s lobbyist to learn about environmental legislation that will be occurring in the

2015 legislation session.

▪ meet with the state legislative candidates that win their district after the November election.

OPPD

▪ ask them to use more solar

If you would like to be a part of any of these research actions, then email Laurie Gift at [email protected].


First Unitarian Church of Omaha First Unitarian Church of Omaha First Unitarian Church of Omaha 3114 Harney St.3114 Harney St.3114 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68131Omaha, NE 68131Omaha, NE 68131

First Unitarian prides itself on fun and fellowship! Oktoberfest photos taken by Scott Kemper.

November 2014

Documents

Transcript of November 2014